Grendel

Browse related Subjects

When Grendel is drawn up from the caves under the mere, where he lives with his bloated, inarticulate hag of a mother, into the fresh night air, it is to lay waste Hrothgar's meadhall and heap destruction on the humans he finds there. What else can he do? For he is not like the men who busy themselves with God and love and beauty. He sees the infuriating human rage for order and recognises the meaninglessness of his own existence. GRENDEL is John Gardner's masterpiece; it vividly reinvents the world of Beowulf. In Grendel ...
Read More

When Grendel is drawn up from the caves under the mere, where he lives with his bloated, inarticulate hag of a mother, into the fresh night air, it is to lay waste Hrothgar's meadhall and heap destruction on the humans he finds there. What else can he do? For he is not like the men who busy themselves with God and love and beauty. He sees the infuriating human rage for order and recognises the meaninglessness of his own existence. GRENDEL is John Gardner's masterpiece; it vividly reinvents the world of Beowulf. In Grendel himself, a creature of grotesque comedy, pain and disillusioned intelligence, Gardner has created the most unforgettable monster in fantasy.
Read Less

Customer Reviews

fine

synopsis was a little different than story,but it was a great story,should be in young adults

Kimren

Jan 1, 2011

Grendel

A nice angle to a well known loved story. A bit depressing but then melancholy never really hurt a literature nut.

DadOfSamurai

Dec 27, 2007

Great version

My 20 year old son lost this book in a move and was genuinely upset. He says it is excellent and prefers it's tale to the original version...I plan on reading it after refreshing my memory of Beowulf.

13vampires

Oct 28, 2007

Excellent Book!

Once you read the English poem, Beowulf, and know the basic story line, this book is amazing. Of course, it depends on whether or not you like to analyze books. It's definitely a fun read without analyzation, but chapter five will most certainly fly over your head if you don't understand existentialism and nihilism. It's a great book for AP English Literature students (or anyone looking for a fun parody).

Alibris, the Alibris logo, and Alibris.com are registered trademarks of Alibris, Inc.

Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited, Baker & Taylor, Inc., or by their respective licensors, or by the publishers, or by their respective licensors. For personal use only. All rights reserved. All rights in images of books or other publications are reserved by the original copyright holders.